MILLINGTON, Tenn. – U.S. Navy sailors from across the fleet are headed to South Texas for Rio Grande Valley Navy Week, Jan. 26 to Feb. 1, to volunteer in the community and discuss why the Navy matters to the Valley.
While many of the sailors are from all over the country, this Navy Week will carry special meaning for visiting sailors from the area, including Petty Officer 2nd Class Matthew Moran, a native of Edinburg, Texas.
Moran graduated from Robert Vela High School in 2016. Upon joining the Navy, Moran quickly found that many of the skills and values forged in Edinburg were the same as those needed to succeed in the Navy.
“My hometown, Edinburg, taught me that friendships and family are what get you through the toughest times and you can always rely on them,” Moran said.
Moran, who joined the Navy six years ago, is assigned to Navy Talent Acquisition Group (NTAG) San Antonio.
“I joined the Navy to travel and continue my education,” Moran said. “Joining the Navy has allowed me to travel all over Southeast Asia and all over the United States while getting over 50% of a bachelor’s degree in the meantime.”
Moran is part of the first Navy Week to be hosted in the Rio Grande Valley. Navy Weeks are a series of outreach events coordinated by the Navy Office of Community Outreach (NAVCO) designed to give Americans an opportunity to learn about the Navy, its people, and its importance to national security and prosperity.
“Being part of this Navy Week means that I get to share my experiences with people of my same culture and show them the wonderful opportunities the Navy has given to me and the possibilities that could await other like-minded individuals,” Moran said.
Today, Moran serves as a fire controlman.
“My job is one of the many important jobs in the Navy, as all of them are,” Moran said. “I am a fire controlman, and my responsibilities are being in charge of two NATO missile launches, two rolling-airframe missile (RAM) launchers for a total of four launchers and 58 total missiles used to protect the ship from any incoming threats during our maritime missions. Right now, while serving with NTAG San Antonio, I am adding warfighters to the world’s greatest Navy as a recruiter in the RGV, my hometown.”
Moran has had many opportunities to excel in the Navy and sees military service as more than just a job – it represents a chance to become a better person.
“I’ve had many proud moments, but one that stands out as the most exciting was when I was actively repairing and troubleshooting my forward RAM missile launcher while F-35s were performing mission-critical flights to ultimately be able to launch missiles the next day,” Moran said.
Moran is grateful for the Edinburg community and for those who helped make a Navy career possible.
“I’d say I have three people I’d like to give a shoutout to, which would be my biggest supporters, my fiancée, my mom and my uncle,” added Moran. “My uncle was in the Navy and unfortunately passed away while I was in ‘A’ school, and sadly, I had to miss the funeral so that I could finish school on time. Looking back, I know he’d be proud of me and would have wanted me to graduate on time.”
Since 2005, the Navy Week program has served as the Navy’s flagship outreach effort into areas of the country without a significant Navy presence, providing the public a firsthand look at why the Navy matters to communities like those in the Valley.
“We’re excited to bring Navy Week to the Rio Grande Valley for the very first time, and to kick off the 2026 Navy Week schedule in the Lone Star State,” said Cmdr. Julie Holland, Navy Office of Community Outreach director. “As the nation celebrates Freedom 250 throughout 2026, the Navy’s Outreach team will embark on a celebratory ‘Road Trip to 250,’ linking key locations in America to our maritime dominance. Navy Weeks will serve as a symbolic link connecting communities across America to their Navy, highlighting the shared history and the enduring commitment to defending freedom and supporting our nation’s independence.”
Rio Grande Valley Navy Week events include multiple engagements at the Texas Citrus Fiesta Fun Fair and live performances throughout the week from the U.S. Navy Ceremonial Guard and the Navy’s New Orleans-style music group, the Deck Plate Brass Band.
Sailors will also be volunteering with the Boca Chica Beach Community Clean-Up, visiting schools across the Edinburg CISD, working on a service project at the American Legion Freddy Gonzalez Post 408, volunteering with the Food Bank of the Rio Grande Valley and more.
For a list of public events, visit https://outreach.navy.mil/Navy-Weeks/Rio-Grande-Valley-2026/.